Distribution of fluids from pipes

ABSTRACT

A fluid dispensing device comprising a tube or other fluid supply conduit having a fluid exit passage in the form of a slot, a screwed bar being positioned to bridge the slot preferably on the inlet side thereof.

United States Patent 1191 Wilford Oct. 15, 1974 [54] DISTRIBUTION OF FLUIDS FROM PIPES 1,809,942 6/1931 McLeod 239/552 2,811,059 10/1957 Ap leby 239/597 X [75] Inventor: Ernest Bmgley, England 2,884,998 5 1959 Ta1or 239 552 73 Assigneez Associated weavers Limited, 3,659,428 5/1972 Kunloka 239/56 B X Bradford, Yorkshire, England Filed: y 1973 FOREIGN PATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 549,465 10/1956 Italy 239/597 [21] Appl. No.: 379,630

Primary Examiner-Lloyd L. King [30] Forelgn Application. i Data Assistant ExaminerAndres Kashnikow July 19, 1972 Great Britain 33846/72 Attorney Agent or w d Hen-On & Evans [52] US. Cl 239/568, 239/590, 239/590.5, 239/597 [51] Int. Cl B05 b 1/04 [57] ABSTRACT [58] Field of Search 239/551, 568,562, 582,

512, A fluid dispensing device comprising a tube or other 222/564 fluid supply conduit having a fluid exit passage in the form of a slot, a screwed bar being positioned to 1 1 References Cited bridge the slot preferably on the :inlet side thereof.

UNlTED STATES PATENTS 1,394,721 10/1921 Festa 239/552 X 6 Claims, 3 Drawing, Figures P a: jz 0 6 /8 2 SHEET 10F 3 AIl /6 FAIENTEDUET 1 51914 3.841.566

SHEET 2 OF 3 DISTRIBUTION OF FLUIDS FROM PIPES This invention relates to the supply of fluid e.g., steam or dye from a pipe or tube.

Hitherto this has been done for example by drilling holes at regular intervals along a pipe or tube but this does not result in even application of the fluid due to the presence of the gaps between the holes especially if the pipe is fairly long.

A fluid dispensing device in accordance with this invention comprises a tube, other fluid or supply conduit, having a fluid exit passage in the form of a slot, 21 screwed bar being positioned to bridge the slot preferably on the inlet side thereof. Fluid then passes through the slot around the thread of the screw so that the quantity of fluid being dispensed can readily be altered by changing the screwed bar to one having a thread of different pitch or form.

The slot or a part thereof may be V-shaped and this may be formed by securing two plates to the outside of the tube, the plates being formed to define a V-slot with the wider portion communicating with a number of holes or a further slot through the tube wall and the apex with a narrow gap left between the inner adjacent faces of the plates. Alternatively the walls of the device adjacent the slot may be curved to surround the screw the exit slot being plain.

As an example, if OBA screwed bar is used at 25.4t.p.i. 50.8 jets are provided for every inch of slot giving 12,192 jets along a ft. pipe.

If water is fed through the pipe the resultant delivery can best be likened to a sheet of Polythene being continuously extruded from the slot.

In the case of steam, wire-drawing takes place, which, provided the steam is Dry Saturated initially, gives the steam, added heat of a few degrees.

The device is suitable for application of any fluid, which needs to be applied very evenly across a considerable width, an example being the application of colour on to a carpet or other textile material where eveness of deposition is imperative.

Another use for the device is to inject steam onto or through a carpet close to the back, say only 2 inches distant. This gives a local high temperature which reduces the fixation time necessary for colours which have already been aplied.

The invention will now be further described by way of example with reference to the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic section through a device of the invention;

FIG. 2 is a diagrammatic elevation showing the device of FIG. 1 incorporated in the steamer section of a carpet printing machine;

FIG. 3 is a section through a device in accordance with the invention designed for applying dye to print a carpet.

Referring to FIG. 1, the device comprises a pipe 2 through which live steam passes and having a series of regularly spaced holes 4 through its wall e.g., 1/4 inch holes at 3/4 inch centers. Two plates 6,8 are connected to the periphery of the pipe one on each side of the line of holes 4 by screws (not shown) passing through holes 9 in the plates and screwed into threaded holes 11 in the pipe. The screws are a loose fit in the holes 9 enabling the plates 6,8 to be readily aligned. The internal faces of the plates are formed to define therebetween a V-shaped slot 10 in which a removable threaded bar 12 is positioned touching the sloping sides of the slot 10.

The apex of the V-shaped slot communicates with a narrow slot 14 between the outer portions of the two plates. The sides of the plates act to confine the spray emerging through the slot and to press against an article being treated with fluid from the device when fluid e.g., steam is forced under pressure into the pipe it passes through the holes 4 into the lower part of the slot 10 and then around the screw thread of the bar between the bar and wall of the Vee slot finally to emerge through the slot 14.

The dimensions on the drawing are given by way of example as being suitable for the injection of steam.

The screwed bar can be mounted in the Vee slot in any conventional manner and can readily be replaced when it is desired to alter the pattern or quantity of steam being injected.

The invention if used in the steamer section of carpet printing apparatus can avoid the carpet having to pass through the sections in a series of loops as is at present necessary for some steamers resulting in less men being required to control the carpet loops and a more efficient application of steam.

The running of loops constitutes a hazard in as far as wandering occurs due to differential shrinkage between the selvedges of the carpet: creasing occurs and mark off due to two faces of the carpet coming into contact before the colours are fixed.

Such an arrangement is shown in FIG. 2 in which a loop of carpet l6 enters the steamer generally indicated at 18 from a carpet printing device over a guide roll 20 and through a slot 22 in the wall of the steamer. The carpet then runs through the steamer over rolls 24 adjacent the top of the steamer and then passes down to exit through the end wall 26 through a water seal 28 to a washer generally indicated at .30.

Steam is injected into the steamer through three steam pipes 2 having a steam dispensing device as described in detail with reference to FIG. 1. Two of the devices are located closely adjacent to the carpet one near the inlet, one about half way along, and the third generally indicated at 32 being located spaced from the carpet near the exit with the V-shaped slot outlet 14 being directed towards the carpet at about 45 to the end wall 26 of the steamer. The blast of steam indicated at 34 acts to drive air in the steamer back over the top of the carpetto the inlet slot 22 where it is acted on by a suction fan (not shown) drawing air up trunking 36 from the steamer and discharging to atmosphere.

Steam from the steam dispensing devices of the invention very quickly act to flll the steamer with steam and the steam pipe located adjacent the inlet to the steamer which act on the carpet immediately after printing helps to drive the colour dye to the base of the tufts.

The device shown in FIG. 3 is used to inject coloured dye evenly for a flat screen or rotary screen carpet printing device or to apply a continuous layer of a plain colour to a carpet.

The device which may be about 17 feet 6 inches long sweeps over a carpet shown at 40 with two pairs of polyurythane blades 42,44 in contact with the surface of the material. Coloured dye is fed to the top of a fluid passage 46 formed by two plates 47 from a supply (not shown) through an inlet 48 and a reservoir 50, the fluid passes from the reservoir to the pipe through holes 51 drilled at intervals in a stainless steel spacer 52 and exits from the tube 46 through holes 53 in a similar spacer 54 to a screw chamber 56. The chamber 56 has its lower walls curved at 58 to surround a screw 60 positioned in the chamber with the periphery of the screw in contact with the walls and bridging an outlet slot 62.

Thus in use coloured dye under pressure passes down the tube 46, and passes around the spaces between the threads of the screw to be dispensed through the slot 62 between the pair of blades 42,44 to contact the carpet.

The device is moved across the surface of the carpet by carrier bar 64 and air is passed down an annular passage 66 to engage the carpet between the blades of each pair of blades 42,44. These blades act as squeegees and ensures, as the device is swept across the carpet, that all the colour is absorbed into the pile. The amount of colour supplied is very carefully controlled by the choice of an appropriate screw form and pitch and so the use of scoops to remove surplus colour is avoided.

Clearly the device could be applied over a flat screen or positioned inside arotary screen printer.

The pressure applied to the liquid dye to force it against a screen or against a carpet varies according to the pattern to be printed or screen to be used but in each case the pressure needed can be found easily by trial and error.

The device is especially useful in the printing of woollen carpet since the fibres are rough and relatively high pressure is required to force the dye into the pile. This cannot readily be done by suction below a printing screen but with the use of a device in accordance with the invention pressure is applied above the carpet.

Another possible use of the device of this invention (as shown in FIG. 1) is to prevent obnoxious fumes from spreading across a whole room. A water screen could be arranged to blank off a section of a room without the necessity of partitioning thus allowing through vision.

The pipe could also be used for metering a coating of paint or plastic on sheet material.

A film of water could be extruded from a pipe to provide a source of amusement for children alongside a swimming pool and could even be coloured in different sections.

I claim:

l. A fluid nozzle structure of extended length partic ularly adapted to extend across the width of an endless web, said fluid nozzle structure comprising a head having a fluid discharge slot formed therein from one end to the other,

structure defining a bore on the interior of said head,

said bore extending the length of said slot and communicating throughout its length with said slot,

a shaft located within said bore and extending from one end thereof to the other,

screw threads on said shaft from one end to the other of said shaft, said shaft being disposed within said bore such that the crests of said threads contact the surface of said bore on each side of said slot adjacent said discharge slot, thereby providing said fluid discharge nozzle with a multiplicity of outlets along the nozzles extended length so as to permit a substantially uniform fluid discharge along that extended length.

2. A fluid nozzle structure as set forth in claim I including a fluid supply manifold disposed along the length of said head, said manifold being interconnected with said bore through a plurality of feed ports.

3. A fluid nozzle structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein said bore is V-shaped in cross section, said slot communicating with the apex of said V-shaped bore.

4. A fluid nozzle structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein said bore is at least partially defined by a curved wall in cross section, said slot communicating with said curved wall portion of said bore, and said curved wall having an inside diameter of at least equal to the major diameter of said screw threads.

5. A fluid nozzle structure as set forth in claim 2 in combination with a carpet printer, said carpet printer including at least two flexible blades fixed to said nozzle along the length thereof and on opposite sides thereof, and said nozzle structure being of a length to extend across the width of the carpet web being processed.

6. A fluid nozzle structure as set forth in claim 2 in combination with a steam treating chamber for a continuous web, said nozzle structure being of a length to extend across the width of said continuous web as said web passes through said chamber. 

1. A fluid nozzle structure of extended length particularly adapted to extend across the width of an endless web, said fluid nozzle structure comprising a head having a fluid discharge slot formed therein from one end to the other, structure defining a bore on the interior of said head, said bore extending the length of said slot and communicating throughout its length with said slot, a shaft located within said bore and extending from one end thereof to the other, screw threads on said shaft from one end to the other of said shaft, said shaft being disposed within said bore such that the crests of said threads contact the surface of said bore on each side of said slot adjacent said discharge slot, thereby providing said fluid discharge nozzle with a multiplicity of outlets along the nozzle''s extended length so as to permit a substantially uniform fluid discharge along that extended length.
 2. A fluid nozzle structure as set forth in claim 1 including a fluid supply manifold disposed along the length of said head, said manifold being interconnected with said bore through a plurality of feed ports.
 3. A fluid nozzle structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein said bore is V-shaped in cross section, said slot communicating with the apex of said V-shaped bore.
 4. A fluid nozzle structure as set forth in claim 1 wherein said bore is at least partially defined by a curved wall in cross section, said slot communicating with said curved wall portion of said bore, and said curved wall having an inside diameter of at least equal to the major diameter of said screw threads.
 5. A fluid nozzle structure as set forth in claim 2 in combination with a carpet printer, said carpet printer including at least two flexible blades fixed to said nozzle along the length thereof and on opposite sides thereof, and said nozzle structure being of a length to extend across the width of the carpet web being processed.
 6. A fluid nozzle structure as set forth in claim 2 in combination with a steam treating chamber for a continuous web, said nozzle structure being Of a length to extend across the width of said continuous web as said web passes through said chamber. 